Keeper inserting tool



mm R g June 24, 1947. c DOUGHERTY KEEPER INSERTING TOOL Filed Sept SO, 1944 Km NR V/J/ uh m .E

fatenfed June 24,1947

UNITED STATES 2,423,010 KEEPER INSERTI NG root.

'GharlesA. Dougherty, Wilin'iiig't'on,-'nen Application September so, mngsera l'soxss'ess (o1. s1-5.1)

ZClttiins.

This invention-relates to a tool for inserting the keepers of valve stems In internal combustion engines the valves are held underjtension by springs which bear ag ainst washers slidable on the stem,-andthe latter telescope split keepers which encircle the stem. The insertion or removal of these lreepers is a difficult problem due. to "the iact that in most vehicles the engines aresupported quite lowdown in the vehicle and the workman must depend upon his sense 01' feeling in inserting the keepers. An objectof this invention is to providea keeper inserting tool which will render insertion of the keeper certain and easy, Heretofore, tools of this kind have been provided but these prior. tools have not found favor with mechanics because of the fact that the keepers were not properly gripped or positioned. v V H v It is, therefore, another object of this invention to providea keeper ins'ertingtool which will hold the split portions of the keeper in outwardly divergent'relationso as to provide for the ready encircling of the stem by the keeper. v I h Afurther obj'eot'of this invention is to provide a tool of this kind embodying a pair of springpressed jaws and an intermediate jaw between the pair of jaws, the intermediate jaw being formed with oiitwardly divergent sides confronting the pair of ja'ws so as to thereby iholdlthe two parts of the keeper in 'oiitwarmy divergent relation. 7 v

To'th'e foregoing objects,'and'others which may hereinafter more fully appear, th invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, aswill be 'more specifically referred to and illustrated in theaccom panying drawings, but it is -to;be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may beresorted to which fall within the scope of the invention-as claimed;

Figured is a plan view, partly brok'en away and in longitudinal sectionrof another modification of this invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of a modification of this invention,

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line &-4 of the intermediate jaw removed from the pivoted jaws.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals l3 and I4 designate generally a pair of pivoted handles which are pivotally mounted on a pivot 11. The handles 13 and 14 are elongated and of hollow construction and are i constantly furged apart "at their. rear ends. 'by..'mean's 0f a spring 18.. The handle 13 has secured to the forward end. thereof,-a 'j'a'w iner'nhrfgenerally designatedlas (time the-handle T4 hasfsehu'red to thev rams-referral thereof, a-jaw'generally (resign-amnesia; The jaw T5 isjof "U shape in. transverse seb'tionfhavin; an upper wall, 'a. lowers wall, and aIconneetmarten o'r. bights The jawfmeiiiber 1t lie-also .of: Ul-shaped cor'ifigiliatioh in :tla fiSVe r Se section, and isifori'ned of an, upper 'wallga lower walland a connecting wall oribight.

The upper wall or the 15 is fdriiiediwithh concave blltbllt aildtheflowr, wan is. also iiifilied with/a concave c'utoiit. The outer edge, if. the cutout in-the lower well is disposed'inwardlyfrom theouter'edge bffthe 'Clltblllt (if the .lifiiirTWallfSQ asjtb tHerb-y iformh Seat. on whiiih th 1o'wer, fifl or one-hair of "a keeper is adapted .jt'o en age. The jaw 16 is also formed 'with'a oncaveeut-iout confrontihgthje cut-out of the jaw, 15, the but... out in "the jaw 16 being 'for'medin tneuppe'r wall; and the lower wall is rormed with'a concaveeutout. The outer edge iorjrche lower 'cuto'jut 'is' posltioned inwardly from the outer edge-of-tlie per cutemitjsoje to "t ereby rorm a second seat onwhichtheother half of the keeper is adapted tofeneaga i r r j The two handles itfand 1'4 rare pivotally mounted on a "pivot member 'l'l' and "the handles are "constantly urged [away from each'j other, ito' thereby normally fmaint'ain the jaws T5 and 15 in "open position by means o'ffa V-s'h'arijed spring 18, The spring 18 in thepresent form'ofthisjiii e verition is bent aboutthe pivot Tl as indicated at Aniinpermed at jaw mem er generally designated as fisslidably ihountejdbn pivot 11 he'tweenajaws "15 f' and 'T6, and comprises an elongated flat body '8 I- having an; elongated opening or slbttZ e'iitending lengthwise thereof,' and within w-hioh pivot member fl! "loosely fe'ng'ages. The

forwardend dr -b'o dy -81; res remedintegral therewith a substantially V-shape'd'heador. jaw 83 which has inwardly converging opposite sides 84 and 85 confronting the inner portions of jaws I5 and 16. As shown more clearly in Figure 7, the body BI is substantially thinner than the head or jaw 83 so that this intermediate jaw may be more readily cast to thereby reduce the cost thereof.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, there is disclosed a, modification of this invention. In this modification the tool comprises a pair of pivoted handles 86 and 81, and a pair of compound jaw members 88 and 89. The handles 86 and 81 are pi votally mounted on pivot member 90 and a U-shaped spring 9| engaging about pivot 90 and extending rearwardly thereof constantly urges handles 86 and 81 apart to normally maintain jaws 88 and 89 in open position.

An intermediate jaw member generally designated as 92 is slidably mounted between the two jaws 88 and 89 and includes a fiat body 93 having a substantially V-shaped head or jaw 94 extending from the forward end thereof. The jaw 94 is formed with inwardly converging sides 95 and 96 confronting jaws 88 and 89, and as shown in Figure 4, jaw or head 94 is substantially thicker than body 93. Body 93 is provided with an elongated opening 91 through which pivot member 90 loosely engages so that intermediate jaw 92 may be moved outwardly to keeper retaining position, and may be subsequently moved inwardly to keeper releasing position.

In the use and operation of this keeper inserting tool, the handles 13 and 14 are compressed or moved toward each other thereby opening the jaws l and 16. The intermediate jaw 80 is moved forwardly to the limit permitted by the slot 82 and pin 71. At this time, the small end of the jaw formed by the sides 84 and 85 will be disposed adjacent the cut-outs. The complementary portions of the keeper are then inserted in the cut-outs with the open sides thereof confrontingeach other and with their lower ends resting on the seats. The handles I2 and I3 may then be released so that the spring 13 will expand the handles and contract the jaws l5 and 16, so as to thereby tightly hold the keeper members against th outwardly divergent sides 84 and 85 of the intermediate member 80. The concave end of the intermediate member is then pressed against the periphery of the valve stem and the tool moved forwardly so that the stem will engage between the jaws I5 and 16. t

In view of the outwardly divergent position of the two keeper members, the outer edges thereof will initially contact with the stem at substantially diametrically disposed points, and further movement of the tool forwardly will push the intermediate jaw 80 inwardly so that the intermediate jaw 80 will become disengaged from the keeper members 15 and 16 and these members will then encompass the stem. When the keeper members are disengaged from the intermediate jaw 80, the jaws 15 and 16 will tightly clamp these keeper members about the stem and they may be engaged in th conventional annular groove which is formed in the stem to receive these keepers. The tension on the valve springs may now be released so that the valve washer may drop downwardly, and the washer at this time will engage the upwardly projecting portions of the keeper members 1'5 and 16 so that when the handles 13 and 14 are compressed toward each other to open the jaws I5 and 76, the upper ends of the keeper members will be seated in the keeper socket formed in the valve washer.

While tools of this kind have previously been constructed, such tools have not found favor with mechanics due to the fact that the keepers were not held in outwardly divergent relation so that they could readily encompass the valve stem as the tool was pushed forwardly. The result of the prior tools was that the keepers would become released or snap out of the jaws and, for this reason, the prior tools have usually been discarded. However, with a tool as hereinbefore described, the keeper members will be firmly held about the stem until the valve washer has been lowered and due to the divergent positioning of the keeper members, prior to and during the insertion operation, the keeper members will readily slide over and about the valve stem and will be retained in encompassing position by the tension of the spring 18.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial Number 533,879, filed May 3, 1944, for Keeper inserting tool.

What is claimed is:

1. A valve keeper inserting tool comprising a pair of pivoted handles, a pair of confronting jaws carried by said handles, said jaws being U-shaped in transverse section and the parallel walls of each jaw having arcuate cutouts with the cutout of one wall of less depth than the cutout of the other wall, and an intermediate jaw within the walls of said pair of jaws and movable lengthwise therebetween, said intermediate jaw having outwardly divergent opposite sides confronting said cutouts whereby to hold semi-circular keeper parts in outwardly divergent relation.

2. A valve keeper inserting tool comprising a pair of pivoted handles, a pair of confronting jaws carried by said handles, said jaws being U-shaped in transverse section and the parallel walls of each jaw having arcuate cut-outs with the cut-out of one wall of less depth than the cut-out of the other wall, and an intermediate jaw within the parallel walls of said pair of jaws and movable lengthwise therebetween, said intermediate jaw comprising a body formed with an elongated opening through which the pivot of said handles loosely extends, and a head extending from said body, said head having outwardly divergent opposite sides confronting said jaws and the outer end of said head having a concave recess to engage the peripheral surface of a valve stem.

CHARLES A. DOUGHERTY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,779,306 Clark Oct. 21, 1930 1,816,446 Stapf July 28, 1931 1,861,973 Mindermann et al. June 7, 1932 1,926,287 King Sept. 12, 1933 2,091,500 Clark Aug. 31, 1937 

